Gripper for printing-presses.



G. A. HARRIS.

GRIPPEB. FOR PRINTING PRBSSES.

APPLIOATION TILED AFB. 7, 1909.

Patented July 13, 1909.

'miql- J WITNESSES IVVENTOR Charles 3.1[03'1'65 1 Jul r1! "(a v Milli Ill ATTORNEYS.

CHARLES A. HARRIS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

GRIPPER FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application filed April "I, 1909. Serial No. 488,396.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. lliinms, residing at Richmond, in the county of llenrice and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grippers for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in grippers for printing presses and the like, apd in its generic nature seeks to provide an improved adjustable gripper, so constructed that both longitudinal and lateral adjustments may be simultaneously made and in which the parts are so constructed that the gripper may be used on narrow edged margins in such manner that the gage pins will not interfere with the application of the gripper to the paper.

My invention also includes means whereby the gripper is provided with a hinged section that may be extended at right angles to the gripper proper so as to grip the paper at a blank space either in conjunction with the rest of the gripper proper or separately therefrom, depending upon the work being turned out.

In its more subordinate nature the invention includes a carriage that is adapted to be bolted to the gripper bar and is prevented from turning on the bolt by abutting the gripper bar, the bolt also passing through a longitudinally slotted gripper, the gripper having dove-tailed connection with the carriage and the carriage being slidable longitudinally on the oscillating gripper bar so that simultaneous longitudinal and lateral ad justments may be made. To the longitudinally slotted gripper bar a projecting section is hinged and means are provided for locking the projection in longitudinal alinement with the gripper bar proper, and further means are provided for limiting the hinge move ment of the hinge section to retain the hinge section at right angles to the gripper bar at times.

Those other novel details of construction, combination and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter described and specifically pointed out in the appended claims also form part of my invention which will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view showing the application of my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan View of the platen in a printing press and the oscillating gripper bar with my invention applied. Fig. 3, is a detail view of my invention. Fi is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Fi 2. Fig. 5, is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6, is a detail perspective view of the hinge connection between the gripper and the gripper extension, the parts being separated.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 designates the oscillatable gripper ol' the usual construction, that is provided with the usual flange 5, the bar being iulcrunied on trunnions 2 in bearings 3.

6 represents the platen of a printing press which may also be of the ordinary construction and on which the gage pins 7 are socured to hold the paper 8 in position.

9 represents the grippers, ol" which two are usually used for each platen, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the gripper 9 comprises a bar longitudinally slotted at 1] to form relatively longitudinal and narrow rod-like resilient portions 10 whose outer edges are beveled as at 12 to form a dovetail portion in cross section.

The gripper 9 slides on a carriage 20 that is provided with a dove-tail groove 21 to receive the gripper 9. The carriage 20 rests on the oscillatable gripper bar 1 and is bolted thereto by a bolt 22 that passes through the slot 4 in the gripper bar 1 and. through the slot 11 in the gripper 9, the bolt 22 carrying a washer 23 and nut 24 to secure the carriage to the gripper bar 1 and the gripper 9 to the carriage in their various adjusted positions.

The gripper strip 9 is formed with an car 13 to which the car 15 of an extension 14 is secured by a screw 17 to form a hinge joint, the car 15 being provided with a stop 16 to hold the extension i l at right angles to the gripper 9 as indicated in Fig. 2, when desired. A latch 18 is secured to the hinge section 1.4 to enter a notch 19 on the gripper 9 to lock the extension 14 in longitudinal alinement with the gripper 9 when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 andv 3.

In the practical application of my invention by loosening the nut 24 the gripper 9 may be moved either in the direction oi the arrow (L or I) in Fig. 2, and simultaneously the carriage 22 may be moved in either the direction of the arrow 0 or (Z, as conditions may require, thus making both adjustments of the gripper 9 simultaneously thereby aecomplishing the required adjustment of the gripper 9 in the quickest possible time.

By providing the slot 11 of considerable Width and the rail-like resilient members 10 of narrow Width, one of such members 10 may be brought to aline with the edge of the paper as closely as possible while the gage pins 7 rest in the slot 11 and are hence not interfered with.

Should the printing be such that edge gripping of the paper cannot be had and should there be blank or open space in the form along one edge the member 14 may be adjusted to grip the paper when at right angles to the gripper 9, While the gripper 9 need not touch the paper 8 at all.

Various other advantageous uses of my invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which the invention re lates and a further elaboration of the application of my invention is thought to be unnecessary. I

From the foregoing description taken in connection With the accompanying draw ings, it is thought the complete construction, operation and numerous advantages of my invention Will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted bar, a carriage in which said bar is longitudinally adjustable, and a single means for adjustably securing said bar and said carriage to the gripper bar of a printing press.

2. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted strip having beveled longitudinal edges, a carriage having a correspondingly beveled groove to receive said beveled edges of the strip, and a bolt for securing said carriage to the gripper bar of a press and also securing said strip to the carriage.

3. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted bar, a carriage in which said bar is longitudinally adjustable, a single means for adjustably securing said bar and said carriage to the gripper bar of a printing press, and an extension piece hinged to the strip at one end to be turned over at right angles to the strip or projected in the longitudinal direction of the strip as conditions may require.

4. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted strip having beveled longitudinal edges, a carriage having a correspondingly beveled groove to receive said beveled edges of the strip, a bolt for securing said carriage to the gripper bar of a press and securing said strip to the carriage,

and an extension piece hinged to the strip at one end to be turned over at right angles to the strip or projected in the longitudinal direction of the strip as conditions may re quire.

5. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted bar, a carriage in which said bar is longitudinally adjustable, a single means for adjustably securing said bar and said carriage to the gripper bar of a printing press, an extension piece hinged to the strip at one end to be turned over at right angles to the strip or projected in the longitudinal direction of the strip as conditions may require, and means for retaining said extension piece in longitudinal alinement with said strip.

6. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted strip having beveled longitudinal edges, a carriage having a correspondingly beveled groove to receive said beveled edges of the strip, a bolt for securing said carriage to the gripper bar of a press and securin said strip to the carriage, an extension piece hinged to the strip at one end to be turned over at right angles to the strip or projected in the longitudinal direction of the strip as conditions may require, and means for retaining said extension piece in longitudinal alinement With said strip.

7. A gripper for printing presses consisting of a longitudinally slotted strip, a carriage for receiving said strip, and a single means for adjustably securing said carriage to the gripper bar of a press, and said strip to said carriage, an extension piece hinged to said strip at one end to lie in longitudinal alinement With the strip or at right angles thereto, and means for limiting the hinge movement of said extension piece.

8. In combination With the gripper bar of a nress, said gripper bar having a longitudina l slot and a shoulder, of a carriage held against said shoulder, said carriage having a dovetailed groove, a longitudinally slotted gripper strip of dovetail cross section to fit said dovetail groove and to be longitudinally adjustable in said carriage at right angles to said groove in said gripper bar, a bolt passing through said gripper bar groove and said carriage and through the groove in said gripper strip and a nut for securing said gripper strip to said carriage and said carriage to said gripper bar, said slot in said gripper strip being relatively Wide to leave long thin resilient members to engage said carriage.

CHARLES A. HARRIS. Witnesses PERCY MoNrAeUE, J12, F. E. BROOKE. 

